The disclosed invention relates generally to medical devices and more particularly to methods and devices for delivering and securing implants and/or sutures to a desired location within a body of a patient.
Many medical procedures require suturing of body tissue and or suturing or securing an implant or other medical device within an interior region of a patient's body. Some surgical instruments used to suture body tissue and/or to secure an implant within a patient are limited by the manner in which they access the areas of the patent's body in need of repair. Suturing can be a delicate and time-consuming aspect of a medical procedure. Some medical procedures that may require suturing and/or securing of a medical implant include procedures to treat various female pelvic dysfunctions, including procedures to treat urinary incontinence, and correcting various prolapse conditions such as uterine prolapse, cystoceles, rectoceles, and vaginal vault prolapse.
Treatment for such dysfunctions has included suturing procedures or the use of implants for support or suspension. A hysterocele is often treated with a hysterectomy followed by a vaginal vault suspension. Various devices and procedures are used to deliver and secure pelvic implants within a variety of different anatomical structures within a pelvic region. Implants can be delivered to a pelvic region through one or more vaginal incisions, and/or through exterior incisions in the patient.
Various complications can occur during a procedure to deliver and secure a pelvic implant due to, for example, space constraints for performing the implantation procedure. Often, implants can become damaged during delivery due to the type of delivery device and/or the type of implant, or due to excessive handling of the implant during the implant procedure.
Some suturing and/or delivery devices used in such procedures may require that the user have a certain level of dexterity and organization skills. For example, if one hand (e.g., forefinger) is used to palpate the tissue, and the other hand is used for activation of the suturing device and tensioning if needed, operation of the device can pose some difficulty. Over tensioning or non-release of the suture or device can lead to breakage of the suture or device, which can increase the time required to perform the procedure. Thus, it would be desirable to provide improved delivery processes associated with such procedures to improve and make easier the handling of such suturing and delivery devices.